Now I'm not a stamper by any means but I loved using this little cupcake set! So many different possibilities and you can make a cupcake for any occasion! I stamped mine onto patterned paper from the Bubblegum Hills pad so that I didn't have to colour them in.

Unfortunately the Spica Glitter pen doesn't photograph very well but it gives a gorgeous effect in real life! I have used it on all three of these cards to highlight the lines on the cupcake holders and on the icing.

With this last card I wanted to show that although the paper pad is very girly and pink, you can make a more boy themed cards using it and the cupcake stamps. The paper I used for the cupcake holders on this card is the same striped paper I used in the above card on the background - I was very careful where I stamped the image so I only got 'boy colours'.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I recently participated in a blog-hop and came up with this idea as something a bit different!

I have been wanting to try this for AGES – so I did! I have used acrylic stamps and food coloring to create some cute critter cookie toppers! Make sure you check out the tutorial below to see how to make them.

Here they all are in their cool little bags!

Acrylic Stamp Cookies Tutorial

Knead a little cornflour into your icing paste until it loses that sticky surface feeling

Roll the icing ( I used Pettinice from the supermarket) between 2 sheets of non-stick baking parchment.

Lightly dust the surface of the icing with cornstarch again to remove any trace of stickiness

Spread some gel icing onto an acrylic block (I used Chefmaster)

Ink your stamp with the colouring – patting gently to give an even coating

Press stamp lightly but firmly into the icing

Repeat stamped image – leaving enough room to be able to cut out your images

Cut out images using a cookie cutter and leave to dry for a few hours

TIPS

If at any stage the icing begins to feel sticky – just dust the icing and your hands with cornstarch – a little works wonders

I used the gel coloring but you can maybe use regular coloring

To stick your toppers onto biscuits - just use a thick paste of icing sugar and water and leave to dry!

Once the cookies were dry I put them into cello bags and created some bag toppers using Spellbinders Scalloped Circles and some letters I cut with a Cuttlebug alphabet

I have used the Kaisercraft Jungle Bug range for both the stamps and the cellobag toppers.

Now - if you are doing these for a party - don't forget to check out the matching cupcake toppers from last week!

Did you see our theme this month is Travel and Treats? Why not make some of these and enter them into our Challenge? You can win a spot on our Design Team for a month - check out all the details here.

Weekly Round-Up
Did you see the posts this week from the Design Team - we had Cupcakes and Fairy Drawers from Lowri as well as a gorgeous Flower Tutorial from Tina. We also announced the winners of our monthly challenge here.

New Theme Launch and Sketch
It's time to launch our new Blog Theme and Blog Challenge - and until the end of April the theme will be

☼♫☺TRAVEL AND TREATS ☼♫☺

Once again - this theme is designed to be VERY broad - we want to see anything and everything to do with travel or treats! This theme also encompasses Easter - so put on your thinking caps and start creating.
What about....

a LO based on your holiday trip

an Easter card

a project using some supplies you bought on holiday

some little treat bags you made for your kids

Here is our sketch for the month from Tanya Leigh to help inspire you. I LOVE the fact that this is a multi-photo layout - and remember that the sketch can be interpreted in many ways - as a card, you can rotate it, use it as a cover for a mini-album - your imagination is the only limit! During the month we will see what wonderful projects the Design Team come up with using the sketch.

Special Prize for Challenge Winner
We will be running our challenge again and this month the prize is very special!

You can win a Guest Spot on the Design Team for a month.
You will be sent a package of goodies and asked to write a blog-post or two to feature your creations on the Artfull Crafts Blog and we will also feature them on our webpage and facebook page. (Don't worry if writing is not your thing - we can help out with that!)

Your entry to the challenge can be either along our theme of "Travel and Treats" OR it can be using the sketch OR of course it can be both!

To enter the challenge - send a picture of your project to the Design Team. You can send us as many entries as you like. We will be featuring all entries later in the month. Did you see the entries for last month's challenge here? There were some beautiful creations and congratulations to Valerie on winning!

Now it's time for our Sunday Scrapping feature and this week - we are featuring Liz Gregory, Founder and Owner of Artfull Crafts.

SUNDAY SCRAPPING

Meet the Design Team - Liz Gregory

How were you introduced to scrapbooking?
My good friend Clarissa invited me to a card-making evening about 11 years sgo - and it didn't take long to get hooked. A few years later she started getting into scrapbooking - but I decided that I wasn't going to start because I knew I would get hooked!! A year down the line I soon gave in and started adding to my paper stash... I kept excusing the addiction by saying that I would scrap all our overseas trips (but I'm not even a quarter of the way through those albums!)

What inspires you for layouts, projects, cards?
I really love magazines. They are so easy to put in your handbag and take out to the beach - or just lie in bed and read. I basically soak myself in quality product and then I find that my skills get better. I don't often scraplift or copy anyone else's projects as I love to create unique projects. However, I might skip through magazines or blogs looking for "bloom" ideas for layouts etc. I always fold over the pages on magazines that have something of interest - but 95% of the time I never go back and read them!

Birthday Card
My favourite projects are always the ones I've just done!! So this is the most recent card I made with the new Bubblegum Hills 6 x6" pad from Kaisercraft. I used opals on the numbers. I LOVE opals and the way they glimmer so much and get such a smooth surface. I made this card for my Mother-in-Law and we enjoyed spending the day with her in ChCh on March 20th - we got back to Timaru just in time for the 5.1 aftershock!

What other project types do you like to work on besides scrapbook pages?
I'm still a fan of cardmaking. Strangley enough I'm not really a card-giver though, so I'm trying to change that. I have spent years supplying a few shops with hand-made cards. I used to have to make them fairly simple and make them on mass. But lately I've decided that I'm going to make more quality, fancy cards (and use up some of the boxes of scraps I have hoarded over the years).

What is your favourite scrapbook brand and why?
Mmm well I'd have to say Kaisercraft . They have always impressed me with their ability to put out so many ranges and new fun projects so regularly - and to keep the prices reasonable. I've also been over to Kaisercraft in Melbourne twice and I love the people and the business itself. The owner is inspirational and his business has a missional focus and they support an overseas orphanage with their Outlet Stores. I was also the lucky recipient of a big prize from them a couple of years ago which had a huge influence on our ability to get the business going in the direction its gone.

Prima flowers (everyone needs a stash of those). I've also got an addiction to Graphic 45 developing... where do I stop?!

Monkey Love
A scrapbook page I really like is my monkey layout. Even though the layout is simple I want to share it as I LOVE monkeys (if I could choose to be an animal it would be this!!). This one was being taken up and down the beach at Thailand and I couldn't resist a little cuddle...

What scrapbooking tools/products can you not do without?
My guillotine. I have one of those real ones - where the blade lifts up and comes down like a sword. It always in arm's reach. I bought it home from Aussie years ago. And the next time I went I brought another two and gave one to Clarissa. I put them in my suitcase and no-one blinked an eye! The other month I needed to get it sharpened and they were going to charge me more than the cost of a new one. The only problem is I can't find them to buy anymore.

What is your current favorite technique or embellishment? Mmm...wetting my edges with an H20 pen and rolling them. It gives a 3-D effect and a slight vintage feel. If I don't have my water pen I just lick the edges! You should try that sometimes - there are some very unusual paper tastes!

Desk Organiser
I'm in love with Kaisercraft Beyond the Page projects too. I find my Hippy Girl organiser to be most useful - especially as I put boxes in the back 2 partitions so I could have a glimmer mist stand.

What do you hope to try or improve on this year?
Every year I have a goal to be published in a craft magazine- but I've never got around to submitting ANYTHING to ANYONE! So until I do that I'll just stick to reading the mags...

What advice can you give to people just beginning to enjoy scrapbooking?
You don't need to copy your magazine/neighbour/tutor EXACTLY! It's okay to give it your own twist and have a go. Everyone has a slightly different style - so break out and give it a go.

Do you have a blog?
Yes it used to be mine - but now it belongs to the business! http://artfullcrafts.blogspot.com/
I have given over my access to the Design Team and Lowri is the Administrator for it now. I love seeing an active blog - but I'm just not able to keep up with the demands of it all by myself! I do aim to showcase more projects on there this year though. Life is finally into a better routine and I'm starting to be able to leave work at work and have my evenings to do some crafting. I LOVE summer - but there is something nice about a long, cold winter, wet nights and weekends. The fire goes on and Graham and I pursue our hobbies in the same room. Ahhh and I've got enough projects to last for a lifetime of winters...

Canvas Painting
And finally this is my first attempt at painting something for the wall. It's a huge canvas and I played with thick goop to get a 3-Dimensional painted effect and iridescent paints. Of most interest to me is the significance and symbolism. The black side shows our sinful state before a Holy God and the white represents that cleansing we receive when we repent and put out trust in Christ - through His death and resurrection on the Cross. The red is indicative of the blood of Christ. It's a plain piece of artwork but it holds a powerful message. I haven't been brave enough to do any other paintings as I like this one so much I don't think I could do any better!! So I think I'll stick to Craft Art.

Note - Lowri here and I have to say that I have seen this piece of art and it is STUNNING and AMAZING. I did not realize Liz had created it - it looks so professional and this photo does not do it justice!!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

OK - so it's no secret I love Cosmo Cricket - so when I heard Liz was going to be stocking their new collections - let's just say I was a little EXCITED!!

These projects use one of their new collections - Salt Air. As soon as I saw this release, I thought it would match perfectly with the Kaisercraft Fairy Castle drawers. I was going for that whole "Little Mermaid" look I guess!

I have layered up the buttons and bling from the collection to make these cute handles for extra decoration. I have also used the doilies and chipboard pieces to decorate.

Here are some close-ups of the details - the colors in this collection are definitely bright - but not gaudy - just FUN!

Such a fun idea for a little girl to keep all her precious bits and pieces together.. I loved this image from the borders paper - so I have put him on the back!

I decided to make a couple of cards too - just to show that it's not just about little girls and mermaids!

I really wanted to use a little bit of everything from this collection so I have used the embellishments on both the drawers and the cards. The colors match perfectly making it super quick to put these cards together. I love these sketched images that are on the Elements paper!

I also made this super quick mini-album with the scraps to give to a friend whose daughter is having a birthday soon! I have used the chipboard and stickers to decorate the cover

I hope you have enjoyed these - please post a comment with any questions!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Hi there. It's so hot here in Queensland today! I was working in the sun this morning, and now I've got a headache, so I won't say much! I'll just show you my tutorial.... the pictures pretty much explain it all!

You could do this technique with Spellbinders dies as well. Its great for using up scraps because once you Glimmer Mist the flower, it changes totally.

Here's another flower I made using the Tim Holtz "Tattered Florals" die. You shape the diecut layers using your fingernail, or a shaping tool, curving or creasing the petals. Then layer with foam tape and pop a brad, button or bling in the centre.

This one is embossed and inked as well.

Don't forget you can alter any of your purchased flowers with products such as Diamond Dust, Bling, Glimmer Mist, Perfect Pearls, and embossing powders to give them a unique, designer look.
Thanks for stopping by, don't forget to leave a comment if you have any questions, or suggestions,... or you just want to say hi!
Hugs
Tina

Monday, March 21, 2011

A little Birthday idea or two for you today.. Kaisercraft have also just released a range of stickers – one of which was an extension of the Jungle Bug range. I thought they would be perfect to make some cupcake toppers !

These were really fun to do. I have used the Spellbinders dies to cut 2 different size circles and then I have simply placed the sticker in the middle.

The template for the cupcake holder was from the Kaisercraft website – you can find it here. I simply printed it onto cardstock – cut it out and then used the template to trace onto the patterned paper before cutting out. You can make them smaller just by overlapping at the ends more - which is what I did as I found I had used quite small cake cases!

You can use a cocktail stick for making these toppers – but these were just a little bit heavy so I used some disposable wooden sticks - I think they were corn on the cob holders!

The icing I have used on the cupcakes is hard to see - but it is rolled icing with an embossed pattern. Here are some I made for a previous project - cool hey!

Knead cornflour into icing if it is very soft. You can do this at any stage of the process if you feel the icing is too soft/sticky.

Dust embossing folder with cornstarch and tap very firmly to remove all the excess. This will effectively clean the folder and make it non-stick – I suggest you do it into the sink!

Roll your icing paste between two sheets of baking paper. This gives a flat surface and is generally cleaner than using a rolling pin

Firmly press your embossing folder into the icing. You generally want to use the “top” side – but trial and error will let you choose the finish you want. Use a rolling pin on top of the folder to ensure a good “emboss”

Carefully remove the embossing folder. It should not stick if you have used cornflour to dust the folder

There you go! If you cut shapes – transfer them to a piece of baking parchment to ensure they dry a little. I sped up the drying on mine by putting them in the oven with the fan on but NO HEAT

I have to give credit for this idea to Shirl (my fellow DT member) as she came up with this idea on one of Christmas posts and I thought it was just genius!!

Give it a go and enter them into our Challenge - there is still time!

Your entry to the challenge can be either along our theme of "Birthdays and Blooms" OR it can be using our month's sketch. (OR of course it can be both!)

To enter the challenge - send a picture of your project tomailto:artfullcraftsdt@gmail.com You can send us as many entries as you like. We will be featuring entries and there will be a Kaisercraft prize for the Challenge Winner!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

We have had some great inspiration this week on the blog from Tina (twice!) and Shirl.

We also have some fantastic entries to the challenge rolling in - and there is still time to get your entry to use before next Wednesday. We will be featuring at least one entry from each person on the blog on Thursday.
Your entry to the challenge can be either along our theme of "Birthdays and Blooms" OR it can be using our month's sketch. (OR of course it can be both!)

To enter the challenge - send a picture of your project tomailto:artfullcraftsdt@gmail.com You can send us as many entries as you like. We will be featuring entries and there will be a Kaisercraft prize for the Challenge Winner!

SUNDAY SCRAPPING

Guest Featured Artist - Sharon Brooks

This week our featured artist is Sharon Brooks - a very talented card-maker from the UK. Be sure to take a look at her blog - she has lots of great step-by-step instructions for creating the effects she uses on her cards.

How were you introduced to scrapbooking?
I actually got into cardmaking simply because I wanted a Mothers Day card for my Stepmother, and looked everywhere to find one that read' For my Stepmum/Stepmother on Mothers Day', and couldn't find one anywhere. Although this was 10 or so years ago, I didn't think it was a particularly strange thing to want on a card- step-parents are not exactly unusual! So as I couldn't find one, I made one- and thoroughly enjoyed the process. I bought a nice floral decoupage sheet, as I recall. Then I went to a Craft & Hobby fair, and I was firmly hooked.

Borealis Card
This card uses a technique I found by playing with oil pastels. By scribbling the colours onto a smooth, but not glossy card, then smudging with my fingers, I got a fabulous Borealis type sky, and quite realistic water. Both stamps are by Stampscapes, Lakeside Cove & Starbirth. Due to the nature of oil pastels, you need to stamp with Staz-on.I used a Stamp positioner to enable me to put the scene together. I used a wordblock stamp from Crafty Individuals for the base card. I love this because the Stampscapes Stamps work really well on a very basic background- brayering or sponging creates great backgrounds for them. As I said earlier, colouring images is not my strong point! If you want to try this, there is a how-to on my blog :). This was one of those cards that amazed me by coming out better than I anticipated.

What inspires you for layouts, projects, cards?
I think most of my inspiration comes from looking at other peoples blogs and the galleries on SCS and Rubber Stamp companies sites. Sometimes it comes from my stash, or from seeing a technique I haven't tried. Also it can come from the reason I am making the card- tying it to the likes & interests of the person I am making it for. Oh, and You Tube videos!
What other project types do you like to work on beside scrapbook pages?
I haven't done any scrapbooking yet, its on my to-do list though! In the past I have done glass painting and cross stitch, dressmaking and dabbled in making jewellery.
What is your favourite scrapbook brand, and why?
Tim Holtz has to be at the top of the list- I love his stuff. Stamp companies like Stampscapes,Crafty Individuals, Non Sequiteur, Lavinia Stamps because she has gorgeous fairy & fantasy stamps,and I do like K & Co papers.

Valentines Card
The hearts were cut with a Sizzix die, from thick card- I use the back of notepads like chipboard. I coloured the card with two or three shades of red then triple embossed (or UTEE). One was also stamped in gold with a swirl stamp whilst still hot. The main image is from Elusive Images, Harlequin Rose plate, and coloured with H2O's. I made it as an easel card, as I was loving this format- more surface area to decorate! I think its the hearts I like the most- you get lovely marbled colours due to the ink soaking into the card. I also used a Martha Stewart punch for the lace- this is the first one I have bought & used, and I am quite impressed by them

What is your current favourite technique or embellishment?
I've just had a big Easel card phase, and I love brayering backgrounds. Actually, making backgrounds using different techniques is one of my big loves- I tend to get carried away and make loads.I have also just discovered what a useful product Glossy Accents is!
What do you hope to try or improve on this year?
I intend to do some pieces with canvases this year, and am determined to improve my colouring technique. Colouring is definitely a weak point of mine, but my youngest son & my Beloved Husband both bought me some Promarkers for Christmas (as requested), and I used them this week on the pieces I did for WOYWWStampbord, that has been sitting here for a couple of years now, that I want to make use of.

What advice can you give to people just beginning to enjoy scrapbooking?
Make the most of the Internet! I think we crafters today are so lucky-you can 'meet' other crafters and see their work via their blogs, learn how to do anything via You Tube videos, research products and how to use them- its the most awesome resource, all in the comfort of your own home, whenever you have spare time. Especially today, where many of us work shifts/have young children/don't drive or live close to a craft shop, and in this current financial climate, its not always easy to justify the spending on classes. Join a forum like Splitcoast Stampers- there’s always someone who knows the answer to your problem. They are all so helpful & encouraging.
Start your own blog- its easy, and you meet so many great people,if you see a technique that you like- ask the creator- they will always share their knowledge with you.I'm in the UK, and visit, and get visited by, crafters from all over the world. Blogland is huge and friendly! Don't be afraid to put your work out there- I only started my blog a little under a year ago, and it has improved my confidence immensely to find that other people like what I do. I think maybe we are each our own greatest critic sometimes, and only see what we think of as imperfections- we have a picture in our mind of what the finished project will look like, and if it doesn't match up we are disappointed. Others don't have that picture, so they see the project as it is.
Play! I have a few techniques I use for backgrounds that I have discovered just by playing around with ink & card. There really is no right or wrong- if it works for you that’s what matters.

Wedding Invitations
I haven't got round to posting these on my blog yet- they are Invitations for our Wedding & Evening Reception.As you can tell, our chosen colour theme was Black & Burgundy- and yes I did have a Black Wedding Dress! there are pictures on my blog to prove it too, lol. It was clearly the right colour theme to choose, as everything we wanted in those colours we found without difficulty, and at really good prices.
The cards are A5,pearlescent white, and were scored twice to give a wide left side, and narrow right side. The entwined D & S ( Doug & Shaz) were computer printed, then heat embossed using clear embossing powder. About 5 years ago, I had bought a couple of packs of paper that allowed inkjet images to be heat embossed, and still had sufficient left to be able to do all the monograms for the invites. This made the whole process quicker & less stressy than if I had had to get a stamp made, then stamp & emboss them. Each monogram was matted onto Burgundy, then Black card, and fixed to overlap the front opening. Black & burgundy ribbon was wrapped around the front & secured with a gluedot, then a bow tied separately & again added with a glue dot. I used Peel-off wording in black for the Wedding & Evening Reception. The insert was also computer printed, onto vellum,and stuck to the base with vellum tape.I hand wrote the names of the recipients afterwards. I punched a little black cat out of a velvet effect paper, and stuck him to the insert. Black cats are considered lucky in relation to weddings over here, plus we have a lovely black cat called Ambrose, so this was getting him involved too.I needed around 50 Wedding invites, and 150 Evening invites, and made the process easier by doing everything in blocks- I cut the Monograms down, then cut all the burgundy pieces, then all the black. Then matted them all. I measured around a card with the Black & Burgundy ribbon, then cut enough lengths of both to do all the invites. I did the bows the same way, I tied one, then undid it & cut all the lengths for the rest. I bought all the ribbon from E-Bay, and I still have miles of it left! I love these not only because they are our Wedding Invitations, but because they came out EXACTLY like the picture I had in my head, and that doesn't happen very often